Nothing But Time
by TinyBoxTink
Summary: Taken from a prompt on Twitter; it's been a week since Rafael Barba resigned from the DA's office and Olivia Benson wants to check in on him. Can they finally admit what they have? (Barson) (One Shot) Prompt from @R osehips on Twitter!


A CONCEPT: Olivia shows up to Rafael's door a week or so after he's left. He's scruffy and a little sad, but more well-rested than she's ever seen him. He's surprised to see her and asks (surprised, soft, sweet) why she's come. She says "I came here to talk to my friend about whatever he wants to talk about." For a long moment he's overcome with love and gratitude and "God, I missed her, but she's *right here* and she's come for me," and his eyes are a little wet with emotion. Before she leaves she hugs him again - a long hug this time, and he buries his face in her neck. They don't kiss. But they both know that they will, next time. And they have time.

Olivia hesitantly knocked on the apartment door, wondering for the millionth time if she should just be dropping by like this. She hadn't called, hadn't texted him all week, and now here she was surprising him face to face. This was stupid; she was stupid. She chastised herself under her breath as she began to walk away, and the door opened.

"…Liv?"

Olivia turned around meekly, to see a scruffy Rafael Barba, in jeans and a t-shirt, holding a beer in the middle of the day. She felt terrible about "cutting him off" for so long, she didn't know he'd fall this fast.

"I um…I….I'm so sorry, Rafa. I kept meaning to call or text or—or SOMETHING, but I've just been—" The apology just started falling out of her lips like word vomit, partly because she didn't want him to slam the door in her face and partly because she had wanted to say the words for what seemed like forever, even if it had only been a week.

"Working," He finished with a sad chuckle. "I get it, it's fine. You're here now, right?" He sadly smiled at her, torn between being embarrassed of her seeing him like this and overjoyed because she was here at his door. "Speaking of which, why ARE you here?"

Olivia ran her fingers through her hair nervously, trying to remember the speech she had rehearsed, but looking into his sad green eyes it completely left her brain. And then, something else came to her.

"I came here to talk to my friend, about whatever he wants to talk about," She smiled, softly caressing his arm. Rafael was taken aback a moment, surprised and delighted at the callback to when he himself had shown up at her apartment after a time of crisis. He was sure she was just doing it to be nice, a good friend…but still. She came here for him; that had to mean something, right?

"So….is he gonna invite me in?" She nodded towards the door, god had he been lost in his mind that long?

"Of course, of course! Come in," He hastily widened the door, taking her coat as she entered his apartment. It was as decadent as she had imagined his place would be; fine leather sofas, books on all the walls, not one but TWO espresso machines on the bar which was also fully stocked with every kind of expensive liquor. But then she noticed the living room was filled with pizza boxes, opened bottles of wine, and newspapers with the words "BABY KILLER" in huge black ink all over the front pages.

"Oh, Rafa. Rafa I'm so sorry, this wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all," She sighed, inadverntenalty cleaning up the clutter, she was on automatic "mom" mode all the time now it seemed.

"Oh, Oh god Liv please no, no don't worry about that stuff it's just…me, feeling sorry for myself. I'm sorry you had to see this it's—not been my finest week," He grabbed the stuff from her and picked up the remaining trash, quickly shoving it in a nearby trashcan.

"It's fine," He repeated again, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding her gaze.

"…No, it's not," Oliva turned his face up to meet hers, giving him a long sympathetic gaze; the same look he had gotten from his family, his co workers, people on the street who didn't spit at him. He hated all of this patronizing, like he was some wounded bird. But for some reason, coming from her he didn't mind the mournful look, it almost felt comforting.

"So, shall we sit?" He quickly tried changing the subject, motioning towards his sofa. "How's Noah? How's the 'gang'?" He grabbed a bottle of Merlot from a mini fridge hiding in an end table, and poured glasses for each of them.

They sat and talked for hours, from Noah and 'the gang' to childhood, past cases, bad dates, worst pick up lines, law school traumas, and what Rafael was going to do next.

"You know, I always wanted to be an actor as a kid, maybe I'll give that a go now that I have all this free time," He smiled, finishing off the wine.

"At your age? You've probably got choices between crazy villain billionare, or town elder," Olivia snorted.

"HEY! I am not that much older than you, thank you!" He hit her playfully, mocking offense.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You would make a great actor…sexy leading man and all," She apologized, then blushed as the last bit fell from her tipsy lips. They both stopped laughing at that moment, and just stared at each other for a long moment.

"I um, I should probably get back to Noah," She bit her lip, cursing her stupid mouth to outplay her stupid brain once again.

"Yeah, yeah of course. You've been here….damn, quite a while!" He winced, looking at the time. Had it really been hours? The time seemed to fly by; though it always did with Olivia. He walked her to the door and handed her coat back to her.

"Well, this was fun," He smiled, not really sure how to end the night.

"It was; can we….make it a weekly thing?" Olivia hesitated, praying he'd say yes. To her relief, his eyes lit up brighter than she had seen in a while.

"Or more," He smiled, pulling her into a hug. It started as a simple "see you next time" hug, but he felt Olivia slide a second arm around his waist and pull him tighter into her, her face nuzzled into the nape of his neck. He tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her closer into him, resting his face on top of her head with his lips on her head, just as they did in the courthouse. But this time, they just stood there in his doorway, holding each other.

She didn't want to leave, he didn't want her to leave.

After a few minutes, Rafael finally pecked her head one last time and then ran his thumb across her face. "You'd better go, Noah will want to kiss his mommy good night," He smiled.

"Yeah, yeah I'm going. Um….good talk," She punched his arm playfully, as if they were buddies.

"Great talk, Olivia—I'll see you soon, okay?" He found himself gently pull at her fingers in the lightest way, as if he was trying to signal something. He was relieved when he felt her squeeze back in reciprocation.

"Yeah. After all, we've got nothing but time now," She bit her lip like a young school girl, and as he softly shut the door she found herself almost skipping down the hall to the elevator.


End file.
